Circuit interrupter



Sept. 15; 1925. v 1,553,402

J. SLEPIAN CIRCUIT -INTERRUP'1'ER Filed Dec'. 1. 1918 7 I k 3 a Q i /7 L7 ll ll WITNESSES: INVENTOR CZ. Joseph Slap/Len,

Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,553,402 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH sLriPIAN, or wILKINsnune, PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNon T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANurAc'runINe COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

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- Application filed December 31, 1918. Serial No. 269,102.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrr-r SLEPIAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny ,6 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circmt Interrupters, of which the following 1s a specification.

My invention relates to circuit interrupters and particularly to means for reducing the arcing across the contact members of such devices.

One object of my invention is to provide means for reversing the connection of an electrolytic cell to an interrupter after each operation of the interrupter.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electrolytic cell for a device of the above indicated character having such elecm trodes that a film is being broken down on one electrode while the film on the other electrode is, being formed.

A. further object of my invention is to provide an electrode for use with a device of the above indicated character that shall be of such improved characteristics over electrodes formerly used for similar purposes as to permit the complete destruction of the film, thereby rendering a device of this kind more efiective.

Heretofore, aluminum has been used almost exclusively for the electrodes of electrolytic cells of this type. Aluminum has the property that, when so employed, causes it to take on a permanent film. In other words, when a direct current is-sent through an electrolytic cell having aluminum electrodes a permanent film is foi'med on the anode. If the current is reversed in such a cell, this film is only partially destroyed while another permanent film of the same character is formed on the other electrode, thus rendering the device ineffective after one reversal of direct current therethrough. Ubviously, and, as a matterof fact, such a cell will form films on both electrodes when subjected to alternating current to stop the flow of current therethrough.

I have found that. electrodes formed of 50 antimony and other materials, such as hismuth, zinc and magnesium have the property of both forming and completely destroying a film thereon when subjected to reversals of current. That isywhen subjected to a direct current in one direction,

a film will be formed on the anode and, when the current is reversed, this film, now on the cathode, will be completely destroyed and a film will be formed on the electrode which is'nowthe anode. This complete building up and breaking down of films will occur thereafter with each periodic reversal of direct current, and a reciprocal building and destroying action of such character will occur whenv alternating current is passed through the cell as to ofi'er no opposition to the flow of the latter aside from the resistance drop of the cell. The film of an aluminum cell requires/several days or even weeks to disappear when left on open circuit, but the film on an antimony cell will be destroyed in a few hours under the same conditions.

In practicing my inventioml utilize this complete film-destroying principle to provide a repeating means, not efi'ective with aluminum, for quietly dissipating the usually explosively dissipated energy caused by the interruption of a relatively heavy current. The cell is connected in shunt relation to the interrupter to normally not have current passing therethrough and, when the interrupter is opened, to quietly absorb the energy dissipation attendmg the interruption of the current' It will be seen that a cell having the herein disclosed characteristics will instantaneously be a good conductor thus permitting the full flow of the line current through the shunt path with a voltage sufiiciently low to preclude arcing while the contact members are separating. The real interrupt-ion of the current will, therefore, be more of a graduated action, itbeing, in 'eflect, the rapid building up of resistance from substantially zero opposition to complete opposition to the flow of current.

. As above set forth, an aluminum cell, after one reversal of current therein, would no longer be effective as a conducting shunt of full line current value; therefore, subsequent openings of an interrupter having an aluminum cell as a shunt would be attended by arcing at the contact members.

ll further propose means for reversing the connections to the cell to properly direct the line current therethrough each time the interrupter is opened.

The single figure of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of an electric circuit embodying my invention.

rotatable drum 7 is actuated by a pawl 8 on the movable member of the interrupter 2 and has mounted thereon two conducting members-9-and 10 that are separated by an insulating member 11 Four stationary contact members 12, 13, 14 and 15 are disposed adjacent the drum 7 and are adapted to be bridged by the conducting members 9 and 10, under predetermined conditions. The contact member 15 is connected, through a conductor 17, to the electrode 6 and the contact member 12 is connected, through a conductor 18, to the electrode 5. The contact member 14 is connected, through a conductor 19, to one side of the interrupter 2, and the contact member 13 is connected, through a. conductor 20, to the other side of the interrupter 2.

When the interrupter 2 is closed, the conducting members 9 and 10 connect the contact members 12 and 14: and 13 and 15, respectlvely, thus causing the electrodes 5 and 6 to become an anode and a cathode, respectivel 7 When the interrupter 2 is opened, the electro-magnetic energy of the circuit 1 is discharged through the cell 4 to cause the film on the anode to be built up. Thus, the current is prevented from flowing after the ener of the circuit is absorbed. While the. lm on the anode is being built up, the film on the cathode, by reason of the pro erties of the antimony electrode, is being roken down. When the interrupter 2 is opened, the pawl 8 so turns the drum 7 that the conducting members 9 andv 10 engage the contact members 12, 13, 14 and 15 to reverse the connection of the cell 4 to the circuit 1 and,

since the cathode film has been destroyed, it isfalways adapted to absorb the energy of the circuit 1 when the interrupter 2 is again opened. That is, the reversal of connections is obtained to direct the current through the cell in one direction when the interrupter is o ened at one time and to direct the current t rough the cell in the opposite direction the next time the interrupter is opened, and so on.

The essential feature of the invention is the use of antimony and other similar electrodes'which permit the rapid and complete breaking" down of the film on one electrode while the film on the other electrode is belng built up. However, the invention is not restricted to the articular form of'reversing switch or to t e particular electrodes or electrol tes used, as various changes may be made t erein, without departing from'the spirit andsco e of the invention, as set forth in the appen ed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electrolytic cell ermanently connected in shunt relation to tl e interrupter and provided with filmforming electrodes of opposite polarity.

2. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electrolytic cell connected in shunt relation thereto, and means for reversing the connections of the call when the interrupter is o ened.

3. In an electric circuit, t ecombination with a circuit interrupter, of. an electrolytic cell connected in shunt relation thereto,'and means for reversing the connections of the cell at each 0 eration of the interru ter.

4. In an e ectric circuit, the com ination with a circuit interrupter, of an electrolytic cell connected in shunt relation thereto and having a sodium electrolyte and electrodes of antimony.

5. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of electrolytic means for dissipating the energy of the circuit when the interrupter is opened, said electrolytic means being adapted to destroy the film on one electrode while the film on the other electrode is being built up.

6. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of electrolytic means for dissipating the energy of the circuit when the interrupter is opened, said electrolytic means being provided with antimony electrodes to permit the ra id destruction of a film on one electrode'w 'le the film on the other is being built up.

7 In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electrolytic cell connected thereto for absorbing the energy of the circuit when the interrupter is opened, and means for so changing the connections of the cell to the circuit that a destroyed film is connected to the same side of the interrupter, under all operating conditions.

8. The combination with anelectric circuit, of an electrolytic cell comprising a pair of film-forming electrodes of opposite polaritly having such characteristics as to comp etely destroy the film upon the reversal of current throu h the cell.

9. The com ination 'with an electric circuit, of an electrolytic cell comprising a pair of antimony electrodes of opposite polarity.

10. The combination with an electric circuit, of an electrolytic cell comprising filmforming electrodes of opposite polarity and having complete film-destroying characteristics.

11. In an. electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, oi an electrolytic cell connected in shunt relation thereto and having a sodium electrolyte and electrodes of antimony, and means for reversing the direction of current through the cell.

12. In an electric circuit, the combination with a circuit interrupter, of an electrolytic cell permanently connected in shunt relation to the interrupter, and means for automatir, cally reversing the connections of the cell.

13. The combination with an electric circuit, of an electrolytic cell comprising an antimony electrode, and means for automiitltically reversing the connections of the ac a 14. The combination with anelectric circuit, of an electrolytic cell comprising a film-forming electrode having complete film destroying characteristics, and means for reversing the direction of current through the cell.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of Dec. I

JOSEPH SLEPIAN. 

